What I have observed here is that you don't have to have actual distributions on the list for failed addresses to be detected and removed by error counts.  If a recognizable delivery error comes back, that is not considered temporary, when a regular post is distributed, then LISTSERV(tm) (especially if that subscriber was probed this time) goes into active monitoring and starts sending the subscriber a test message every day at 0600 - and if these continue to fail, the subscriber is removed in (on my lists) four days.

So you may want to leave Delay and Max alone, but set Probe to a small number, like 2 or 3 maybe, so that most of the addresses get tested each time any message does go out.
        * Auto-delete= Yes,Semi-Auto,Delay(4),Max(100),Probe(5)

>>> [log in to unmask] 02/27/02 04:38PM >>>
I am setting up a list to be used for the distribution of a monthly announcements only, to about 2000 users.  No more than one message posted per month.  Now, in light of this, we're considering modifying the auto-delete values, changing Delay from 4 to 60 or 120, and Max from 100 down to a lower number, say 10.  The logic being that with fewer messages being sent, the fewer errors being received, and that a small Delay would not receive errors from more than one post.  Yet, for some reason I have this nagging doubt in the back of my head that this isn't the best of ideas.  Any thoughts on what problems might arise from this, or why it's aa bad idea?  Thanks!  

-Chris Gladish